Oil skimmer



March 1944- c. L. PRUIETT ETAL OIL SKIMMER Filed June 2, 1941 n I INVENTORS. M/AEL E5 PRU/E77 Patented Mar. 28, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENTCOFFICE,

OIL SKIMMER Charles L. Pruiett and Harry W. Amner,

Ventura, Calif.

Application June 2, 1941, Serial No. 396,367 2 Claims. (Cl. 210-60) Our invention relates to an oil skimmer, particularly for separating and removing oil and gas from water, oil-well mud, and the like.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a relatively simple means whereby oil and gas may be separated, removed, or salvaged from liquids, semi-liquids, or viscous substances, such as mud from oil-wells.

An important object also of this invention is to provide an apparatus for the removal of oil from the surface of a liquid or mud irrespective of the rapidity of the flow of the liquid or mud through the apparatus.

Another important object of this invention is to provide float means for regulating the height or quantity of liquid or mud in the distributing chamber from which the oil is initially removed.

An important object also of thi invention is to provide novel and simple means for the aerating of the liquid or mud as it is discharged from the supply line into the apparatus for the removal or separation of gas or vapors.

With these and other appear hereinafter, we have devised an oil skimming apparatus, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the characters of reference thereon, which forms part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of our oil skimming apparatus, in a preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view of our apparatus taken through 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken through 3-3 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view taken through 4-4 of Fig. 1 showing diagrammatically the mechanism for operating the distributing valve through a float.

Our oil skimming apparatus is designed to be constructed on a large scale, and may be made of concrete.

The liquid or mud, from which oil and gas is to be removed, separated, or salvaged, is supplied through pipe I. This pipe discharges the oil or mud through special means, as will be described hereinafter, into a distributing chamber 2. From the distributing chamber it is discharged into and flows through a battery of successive settling tank or chambers 3, 4, and 5, these settling chambers being of any desired number. From the last settling chamber in the series, the liquid or mud, from which the oil and gas have been removed, is discharged through a pipe 6.

objects in view, as will The supply pipe I is shown as extending transversely across one end of the distributing chamber 2 and has a number of laterally spaced discharged nozzle l. The nozzles, which are directed downwardly, discharge over the middle portions of circular bafiles or domes l2. The bottom of thedistributing chamber is inclined downwardly from the portion at which the domes tling chambers. discharge domes.

The inclined bottom of the distributing chamber is preferably provided with obstructions or riflles 20; for retarding the flow of and to agitate the liquid or mud flowing downward to the controlling gate valve.

Between the low end of the distributing chamber 2 and the first settling chamber 3 is a long transverse slide or gate valve 2| which may be adjusted laterally to vary the area of the opening (consisting of a plurality of laterally spaced openings) between the distributing chamber and the first settling chamber. The opened or closed position of the valve is determined by a float 22 which is adapted to rest on the liquid or mud in the distributing chamber. We have shown diagrammatically a simple bellcrank lever 23 connecting the float to the valve, which bellcrank is so positioned that the raising of the float will shift the slide valve 2| laterally. The flow of liquid or mud into the settling chambers is determined directly by the rate of flow into the distributing chamber.

The distributing chamber has an overflow pipe 3| which has an opening at the upper end through which is received the oil which floats on the surface of the liquid or mud in the distributing chamber.

The upper surfaces of the baflles or domes l2 are positioned considerably above the normal level of the liquid and mud in the distributing chamber, as shown in Fig. 2. All of the discharge The liquid or mud from the nozzles thus flows away from the enclosed in an enclosure l3. One wall, He, separates the domes from the low portion of the distributin chamber. This wall extends downwardly below the surface of the normal level of this chamber but is spaced from the bottom thereof to permit the liquid or mud to flow from the bottom of the compartment I3 into the lower portion of the distributing chamber. The interior of the gas compartment is thus liquid-sealed. This compartment l3 which may be outlet pipe referred to as the gas chamber has an M from which the vapors and gases may be drawn from the compartment l3.

Below the discharge gate valve 2| is an inclined bafile 24 which is coextensive with the gate valve and which is adapted to receive the impact of the liquid or mud released by the open gate valve. At the lower edge of the baiile is an opening 24a through which the liquid or mud flows gently into the settling chamber 3 directly below.

The successive chambers are separated by double walls 4| and 42 which are so positioned with respect to each other that the liquid or mud from one settling chamber flows freely below the lower edge of the wall 4| and over the top of the wall 42. Each of the settling chambers has one or more overflow pipes 32, 33, and 34, all of which are connected with the overflow pipe 3|, to an oil outlet pipe 35, for carrying away the salvaged oil.

The overflow pipes 32, 33, 34, which are lo cated in the respective settling chamber 3, 4, and 5, have the discharge openings at the upper ends at different elevations, the height of the discharge openings being lower in the successively farthest settling chamber. Thus, no oil will flow into the overflow pipe 32 unless the height of the liquid or oil is substantially higher in the first settling chamber, thereby preventing other substances, than oil, from flowing into the first overflow pipe when too great a quantity of liquid or mud is supplied to the first settling chamber.

At one end of the structure, that is, at the end adjacent the last settling chamber in the series, is provided a steam connection 5| so that the oil drainage or overflow pipes may be cleaned or blown out.

At one side of the structure is also provided a pipe 6| for cleaning out all of the settling tanks or chambers, each of the latter being connected to the pipe 6| through separate valves 62.

Though we have shown and described a particular construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions of our apparatus, we do not wish to be limited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of our invention, the construction, combination, and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an oil separating apparatus of the class described, a separating chamber, a supply pipe, an oil-bearing liquid distributing chamber located between the supply pipe and the separating chamber, oil suspended in the liquid being adapted to rise to the surface of the liquid, a gate between the distributing chamber and the separating chamber, a float adapted to rest upon the surface of the oil bearing liquid in the distributing chamber, means operatively connecting the float to the gate for controlling the open position of the latter in accordance with the position of the float, an overflow pipe extending to near the normal surface of the oil bearing liquid in the distributing chamber for receiving oil floating above the surface of the liquid and means for removing the residue.

2. In an oil separating apparatus of the class described, a separating chamber, a supply pipe, a liquid distributing chamber located between the supply pipe and the separating chamber, said liquid bearing oil in suspension, said oil suspended in the liquid being adapted to rise to the surface of the liquid, a gate between the distributing chamber and the separating chamber, a float adapted to rest upon the surface of the oil bearing liquid in the distributing chamber, means operatively connecting the float to the gate for controlling the open position of the latter in accordance with the position of the float, an overflow pipe extending to near the normal surface of the oil bearing liquid in the distributing chamber for receiving oil floating above the surface of the liquid, said gate being arranged to be opened by said float when more than a normal amount of oil flows into the overflow pipe and means for removing the residue.

CHARLES L, PRUIETT. HARRY W. AMNER. 

